Yoon Sang-Hyun

A totally adorable drama that’s bound to please, Shopping King Loui delivers an impossibly sweet story about a stupidly rich boy falling in love with a pauper girl. One of everyone’s favorite tropes, amnesia, is used to full effect here: After an accident, a pampered .01% uber-rich, unemployed, shopaholic young man is left homeless and afraid on the streets of Seoul. Thankfully he is quickly adopted by a simple, sweet, and diligent young woman from the rural mountains who has come to the city to find her missing brother. I love a good Prince & Pauper storyline, and anything that will lead to flirty cohabitation is always good television.

Here is what’s most important – about the show and the plot – these two mismatched pairs are simply the cutest things you will ever see. Our leading male has no idea how the world works (this was true even before he had amnesia, and now it’s doubly so), follows his instincts (which are laughably unsuited to the real world), and is genuinely, adorably, grateful that this bright eyed young woman has decided to take him under his wing. He would literally be lost with out her, and charmingly points this out all the time, flashing the innocent dog grin that wins her over, no matter how much he’s misbehaved.

She, on the other hand, is used to serving and taking care of others. Raised sheltered in the mountains, she isn’t aware of the dangers of the world, the insanity of social media, the often cruel natures of men and women. Without this “standard modern society fear,” she’s free to live more naturally – walking the streets of Seoul at all hours, living in bath houses, taking in strangers, trusting people easily and finding joy in simple, non-materialistic things.

I shouldn’t have to tell you these two fall hopelessly in love, but I should warn you that will too – with both of them. They’re sooo cute. So, so, so cute.

The music in this show is spot on – often referencing pop culture (Kill Bill and Aladdin anyone?). The gimicks are perfect (the little snippets of narration, the visual guides to general users shopping behaviors, social media uses, and group think. The side characters are all lovable and funny – and I never once minded when the story shifted away from our adorable couple to these other people. Even the little cartoon additions (used sparingly) were super cute… cue the puppy ears. Gah. It was so freakin’ adorable I feel like watching the whole thing over again.

I won’t go into more of the plot because, honestly, everyone should see this show for themselves. It’s like Weightlifting Fairy or Sungkyunkwan Scandal – the joy of this show is the viewing, not the reviewing. Watch it! Watch it now!

Some shows just ran through me the first time, like an uncomfortable evening after eating bad sushi. Two shows in particular – Bad Guy and Secret Garden – pissed me off in almost every episode. I fast-forwarded through large chunks the first round. I couldn’t get over the ridiculously flawed plot line of Bad Guy and I couldn’t stomach the douche-bag persona of the male lead in Secret Garden. Most people agreed with my initial response to Bad Guy. And most people disagreed with my first impression of Secret Garden.

Then I watched them again. I had too. I couldn’t stop thinking about them. I felt I had missed something. I wanted to see a few key scenes again. I liked the music from Bad Guy. I liked the female leads muscular legs in Secret Garden. So, I popped in the DVDs and gave them both a second shot.

Seriously – how cool is she? Definitely deserves a second viewing… and third… and…

And like magic – both shows revealed a whole new side to me. It was like finding out you’re not, in fact, allergic to gluten and enjoying a pizza after fifteen years of abstinence. What kind fate to bring us back together for such a happy reunion!